Victoria Arlen took home gold in the 100-meter freestyle last year in London, setting a world record. She was in Montreal last week to attempt to continue her run of dominance.

But she then received a call from the sport's governing body telling her she wasn't going to be allowed to compete.

"It was so heartbreaking," Arlen said. "To train so hard, to come so close within just days, to have it all taken away -- it's very hard."

The International Paralympic Committee told Arlen she was disqualified because the illness that has left her in a wheelchair since she was 11 may not be permanent, and with years of therapy, there was a slim chance she could walk again.

The committee said it determined that she may not be permanently disabled.

"I was being penalized for having hope, is basically what it all came down to," Arlen said.

Since the ban, Arlen has been flooded with support, including demands from New Hampshire's Senate delegation and Gov. Maggie Hassan that the IPC review the ruling.

"The amount of support just from all over the world -- there's just been so many people that I don't even know, and that's been absolutely incredible," Arlen said.

For now, Arlen's athletic future is unknown, but she said she's not giving up.

"It really is wrong, but it's out of my control," she said. "And I just have to move forward and keep going."

IT IS SAID THAT SHE CAN NO LONGER COMPETE BECAUSE HER DISABILITY MAY NOT BE PERMANENT. SHE TOOK THE MEDAL IN SWIMMING LAST YEAR, AND SHE WAS ALREADY IN MONTRÉAL, AND THEN SHE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SPORT'S GOVERNING BODY, TELLING HER IT IS ALL OVER. IT WAS SO HEARTBREAKING I MEAN, TO TRAIN SO HARD, AND TO HAVE IT ALL TAKEN AWAY, IT IS HARD. THE INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE TOLD HER SHE WAS DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE HER ILLNESS WHICH HAS LEFT EAR IN A WHEELCHAIR SINCE AGE 11 MAY NOT BE PERMANENT, AND WITH THERAPY, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT SHE COULD WALK AGAIN. I WAS BEING PARALYZED FOR HAVING HOPE. THAT IS BASICALLY WHAT IT ALL CAME DOWN TO. SINCE THE BAN, SHE HAS BEEN FLOODED WITH SUPPORT. WITH APPEALS DENIED FOR NOW, HER FUTURE IS UNKNOWN, BUT ONE THING THAT IS CERTAIN, SHE IS NOT GIVING UP.

The Obama administration will unveil a major climate change plan Monday aimed at a large reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's coal-burning power plants, a senior administration official told CNN.